Caesium nitrate

Caesium nitrate prisms are used in infrared spectroscopy, in x-ray phosphors, and in scintillation counters. It is also used in making optical glasses and lenses.

As with other alkali metal nitrates, caesium nitrate decomposes on gentle heating to give caesium nitrite:

2 CsNO₃ → 2 CsNO₂ + O₂

Caesium also forms two unusual acid nitrates, which can be described as CsNO₃·HNO₃ and CsNO₃·2HNO₃ (melting points 100 °C and 36–38 °C respectively).